Who painted Plate 30: Two Monkeys?

Plate 30: Two Monkeys was painted by Joris Hoefnagel in 1594.

Where can I see Plate 30: Two Monkeys?

Plate 30: Two Monkeys is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Plate 30: Two Monkeys?

Plate 30: Two Monkeys is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

Plate 30: Two Monkeys

Joris Hoefnagel , 1594

Plate 30: Two Monkeys is a gouache drawing by the Renaissance artist Joris Hoefnagel. It dates from 1594 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1594, Plate 30: Two Monkeys is a small watercolor drawing on parchment accented with gold paint. Flemish artist Joris Hoefnagel, noted for his natural history illustrations and illuminated manuscripts, executed the work as part of his extensive series of animal studies.

Subject & Meaning

The image depicts a pair of monkeys arranged in a circular composition. One monkey sits while grasping a small fruit; the other stands nearby. Surrounding them are botanical elements—a pear, a banana, and tangled roots. A Latin inscription at the top, translating to “Not more like apes,” hints at the artist’s interest in the humanlike behavior of these creatures.

Technique & Style

Hoefnagel employed delicate watercolor washes to render the fur and foliage, while fine gold lines outline the border, adding a decorative touch typical of manuscript illumination. The rendering shows meticulous observation, with careful attention to texture and anatomy, reflecting the artist’s broader commitment to precise naturalistic detail.

History & Provenance

The drawing belongs to Hoefnagel’s early oeuvre, produced during a period when he was establishing his reputation for scientific illustration. It forms part of a larger corpus of animal and botanical studies that circulated among collectors and scholars in the late sixteenth century, though its specific ownership trail before modern acquisition remains undocumented.

Context

Plate 30 emerges at a time when northern European artists were beginning to treat flora and fauna as subjects worthy of independent study, separate from religious or allegorical contexts. Hoefnagel’s work contributed to the nascent genre of floral still life and to the development of topographical and natural history illustration in the Low Countries.